Lost Mage to Good Home
by AdamineTerra
Summary: Mages of Lancet Series Book Three. Despite the new king trying to stop strife in Lancet, mages are still under attack. After being sent a request by the Great King Isaac himself, Bickslow's sister Winry takes an orphaned mage under her wing. Take a ride on Lancet's Magic Railroad as she delivers an orphan to a new home in Fiore and meets a handsome dragon slayer on the way down.
1. To Fiore

**Book Two of my Mages of Lancet Series. Okay, this one, this one right here, is pretty damned cute. I love this one. I just smile when I write about it. You'll just have to read it to find out, but I do think that it's important to note that Winry and Catori are Bickslow's little sisters, twin sisters from another kingdom. I feel like this is the story for any true Raijinshuu fan.**

**Oh, who am I kidding? All of my stories are for Raijinshuu fans! I would stalk Laxus if I could. Laxus for president!**

* * *

To Fiore

_Kingdom of Lancet_

_Kindred Spirit Guild_

"Lost Mage to Good Home," Winry read dryly as she blinked at the parchment in her hands. Around her the crickets chirped like a backdrop on her confusion, and the frogs in the swamp croaked just the same.

Just moments ago, Winry had been walking up the spiral stone staircase that led out of the guild. Her intentions had been to go to the nearest town to stock up on bar supplies, but as soon as she'd picked up the massive boulder that kept the entrance of their underground guild hidden, Winry had been stopped by the sight of her king's courier.

Now, she stood there in the swamp. Her pink stained lips glistened in the moonlight, and her boots rested on soggy swamp grass. The fog from the muddy water hovered around her curvaceous body. It swept up around her body then reached out to encompass the courier and the little boy who was glowering at Winry like she was some evil nanny.

"Yes," the courier began. "King Isaac may have taken the Lancet kingdom's throne, but mages are still hunted by rogue noblemen. Without a proper police force, many mage guilds are still being destroyed. This boy's home was raided by a noble's soldiers. He is the only survivor from the raid, and since King Isaac and his personal guard are busy with forming the Magician's Alliance amongst other things, he cannot escort this young man to Fiore. So, he personally asked me to send a request out to Kindred Spirit."

Winry ran a hand through her blue-purple hair. Of course the king was busy, but Winry didn't know what to do with a young boy like this one. Her sister was out on a solo mission in Fiore already, so she wouldn't have her partner by her side. Winry would be alone with a strange young boy at her side and in a kingdom she'd never been before. It would be the first S-class Winry had taken overseas or by herself.

Her hand went to the many purple ribbons that wrapped up her arm. "Well, I suppose that I could at least pin the mission on the board. There've been so many raids and battles with rebelling Normans that the guild's stretched thin as it is. My masters may be able to figure something out for the boy," she admitted.

Back when Winry and Catori had been the masters of Kindred Spirit, they would have hastily accepted such a mission. They would have done so without a second thought. After her father and mother were returned from a former Lancet nobleman's dungeon, the twin sisters had happily handed over the reins to their rightful owners.

The courier gave her a polite bow. "Thank you, miss. I knew that the strongest guild in Lancet wouldn't refuse such a job. Now, I must be off." He lifted his messenger bag. "Many more letters to deliver." The courier used Take Over magic to let wings sprouted from his arms and flew off leaving Winry standing with a defiant eyed young boy.

Both of them stood there in the swamp. The boy glowered at Winry, and Winry looked him over. The boy had to have been around seven years old. His hair was a light green and spiked upwards Super Saiyan style. He sported a trench coat that must have been inspired by the King of Lancet himself. The dark grey trench covered a green shirt and black pants. Around his neck hung a crescent moon on a silver chain.

"You're not stronger than me," the boy grumbled, catching Winry off guard.

The woman raised a purple brow then leaned down to put her hands on her knees. "What do you mean?"

"You're not stronger than me!" he barked. "I don't need your help!"

In a motherly tone that Winry had practiced over the years of dealing with her rebellious twin, Winry replied, "I'm sure that you're powerful, but everyone needs a little help some times. Why don't you and I go inside the guild to see if we can't get you an escort to Fiore?"

"I don't need an escort. I don't need to go to Fiore. I want to stay here and become a part of the King's guard." He crossed his arms over his chest and gave Winry a withering stare.

Instead of dealing with the boy's attitude, Winry encouraged, "I'm sure that you'll become a part of Isaac's guard when you're older, but you need to go to Fiore to get strong enough first. Come inside with me, so we can get you a partner." She extended her slender hand.

The boy narrowed his eyes at her act of kindness. Instead of taking her hand, he looked at the boulder over the door expectantly. "You gunna be able to lift that to go in?" he taunted.

Winry smiled at him sweetly. She was the queen of motherly kindness and patience. If this boy thought that he could tease her into aggravation, he was about to be sorely disappointed. "You don't think that I can?" she asked in her gentlest voice, the voice that was sure to piss him off.

The boy got physically annoyed just like Winry had planned. "I don't think that you could lift that stick off the ground with those skinny arms of yours," he snapped.

Glancing at her well defined biceps, Winry only raised a brow at the boy. Either he was used to being around muscle headed body builder types or he just wanted Winry to feel inferior. No matter.

Winry decided she would turn the tables on him. "Alright. How about we make a bet?" The boy waited for her to continue. "If I'm able to pick up that boulder to move it out of the way, you have to give me your name."

"What do I get?"

"What do you want?"

"If you can't do it, you have to let me go."

"Shake on it then." Winry reached her hand out for him once more. This time, he accepted her offering, and after rising to her full height, Winry dusted her hands together. "One boulder out of the way coming up," she stated.

Winry's body got into position. Her soft hands held the underside of the boulder. She felt the way the grey stone curved, and after getting herself into the right angle, she focused.

Mostly, she was just doing this to draw the moment out for the boy. A part of her enjoyed the agitated face he was making with his orange eyes. After drawing the moment out just a little longer, Winry hefted the boulder up.

The boy's once narrowed eyes widened, and his jaw unhinged itself. With an awestruck expression, he watched Winry walk daintily over with the massive boulder in her arms. Her biceps didn't even quiver as she lay the boulder on a switch that would seal the door back off once they'd entered the guild.

Her hands gestured towards the elegant wooden, arched doors. They were engraved with the story of how Kindred Spirit came to be as a guild, and when the boy's eyes settled on the carvings, Winry did her traditional greet to anyone entering Kindred Spirit for the first time. "Welcome to Kindred Spirit, where all of our souls resonate as one," she chimed.

* * *

Spyro rested at the head of the guild. In his hands was a mug of his favorite dark lager, and in his lap was his wife Vixen. It was astounding. He finally had her in his arms. After years of her body being sealed away in a castle and her living as a phantom stored inside a silver necklace, he had her body. Ever since being placed back inside of herself, Spyro hadn't let the woman get away from him.

Now, he sat with her in his lap and drank with the rest of his guild. Vixen had a bottle of malt liquor on her lips, and when the woman caught sight of her daughter entering the guild with a young boy holding her hand, she put the drink down.

"Win? I thought you were gone to get Ignatia more liquor to stock the bar, not pick up stray orphans?" Vixen wondered, her voice gushing at the cute little boy on her daughter's arm. It had her thinking of how much she wished her eldest son, Bickslow, would hurry up and have a baby with his dragon slayer lover.

"I was, Momma, but I got stopped by the king's courier. He gave me a mission regarding Ajax, my new best friend," Winry explained, pushing the young boy from behind her to show him off.

The boy appeared awestruck. His wide, orange eyes took in the sights of the guild, and he appeared too stunned to speak. Despite his awe, he was clinging awfully hard onto Winry's hand. Shy?

Ah! Vix wondered what Bickslow and Adamine's child would be like! Before she went running to a communicator diamond that Adamine had left in order for Bickslow to talk to his parents long distance, Vixen's mind halted at the words _King_ and _Courier_.

"King Isaac sent us a job?" Spyro intoned from behind his wife. He made a motion, and Vixen turned her body into an intangible phantom. Spyro rose right up through her body to step towards his daughter. "What does it entail?"

"It's an overseas S Class mission where one of us takes Ajax to a good home through the Magic Railroad. His family was murdered, and Isaac sent the mission to Kindred Spirit specifically."

The Magic Railroad was a series of underground tunnels, wagons, and ships that took mage children out of the country and to kingdoms where mages weren't hunted for their abilities. It was connected to each and every magic guild in Lancet. The whole thing had been organized by the Princess of Lancet, Adamine Terra, herself. Fiore was the main destination for the railway, but there were other countries mages could escape to.

Spyro ran a hand against his jaw line. "Sounds like a tough mission. What's the pay?"

"It's five million jewel, so that translates to fifty thousand coin."

Dollar signs might as well have been flashing in Spyro's eyes. Eagerly, he stated, "This sounds like a wonderful chance for you to get out of the kingdom for a bit!"

Winry's jaw dropped, and Ajax suddenly pulled from his surprised state of shock. Winry protested, "But, Catori isn't here to go with me, and-"

"Ah-ha! No ifs, ands, or buts! You don't get out of the guild enough. It's no wonder you have no sense of direction. If you got out more, you'd know how to get places," Spyro exclaimed to Winry's obvious horror.

Her face burned scarlet, and she cast her eyes to her mother for support. Spyro was all about Winry getting out and adventuring, but Vixen understood Win's shyness. She encouraged her daughter to do things at her own speed. Still, Winry saw no assistance in her mother's eyes.

Vixen replied, "I think it's a wonderful idea, Spyro. Besides, you could stop in at Fairy Tail and encourage Adamine and Bickslow to hurry up and get married. I'm not getting any younger here, and I would like to get a grandchild sometime this century."

Immediately, Winry understood. This was all about her big brother. Ever since Princess Adamine and Big Brother owned up to how they felt about each other, Winry's parents had been harassing them for grandchildren. Their mother often cooed about babies with brown and black hair and facial tattoos. That and Spyro wanted another boy to pass down the Polterom family name since Bickslow was their only boy.

Winry felt her lips attempting to form a complaint, but her father was already pushing her out of the door. Vixen was packing a backpack for Winry as well. Before either her or Ajax could make a sound, the guild door was locked behind them and her father's voice came over the outside intercom. "You have enough money to stay as long as you like, and I'll contact Cpt. Kenwae to get you a ship ready. Look out for guards and don't talk to strangers until you get into Fiore. Have a safe trip. Mom and Dad love you, Win!"

With her jaw agape Winry looked at the boy who was refusing to hold her hand. He had his arms crossed back over his shoulders, and as soon as Winry took a robotic step forward, he growled, "I wish my escort wasn't as weak as you are."

It already looked like this mission was going to be a pain in Winry's ass.

* * *

**Ah! I love Bickslow's parents. They're just as crazy as he is.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this tid bit. Our star, or should I say Thunder God, will be entering soon. I promise to have chapter two up tonight.**

**Review me, and if you're a follower from a previous story like my Adamine Terra Series that started this all or from Mages of Lancet Book One, Demon Within, give me a holler. I love to know I have returning readers. Stalkers are cool when they just stalk your writing.**


	2. Brat

**Let the cuteness commence!**

* * *

Brat

_Hargeon_

Laxus glanced carefully around himself as he neared the town. It had been hard enough getting out of the guild for a solo mission, but he knew he only had so much time. One of Bickslow's little sisters, Catori, had appeared at the guild. She was a beautiful woman in her early twenties, but she fixated herself on Freed with the enthusiasm of a cougar. As long as she was in Magnolia, Freed attached himself to Laxus's hip.

It was driving the man crazy. He needed to escape in order to prove to his grandfather that he was worthy of taking over the guild, and with Freed clinging to him in order to keep away from Catori's claws, Laxus couldn't even eat breakfast without being harassed.

So now, Laxus's steely gaze strolled around any and all hiding spots in Hargeon. Bickslow wasn't hiding in any bushes. Adamine wasn't perched on any rooftops. Evergreen wasn't creeping behind any shop's glass windows. Freed wasn't running headlong to Laxus in fear. Breathing a sigh of relief, Laxus straightened his back.

So far, so good.

He'd escaped the guild early this morning to start a solo job, and after surviving the most rickety train he'd ever been on, Laxus had made it into Hargeon.

His job was rather simple sounding. Laxus had picked it in haste because the last thing he wanted to see before leaving was Freed or Catori. It would have happened one of two ways with Catori asking where Freed was or Freed begging him to go with him. Either way, Laxus would have been stuck with the both of them.

Now that Laxus had a chance to view the piece of parchment Mirajane had approved for him, he glanced down at it. It had seemed easy enough in the two seconds it took him to pick it out. The job was a simple pick up and deliver mission of some supposedly cursed spell book to some guy in Crocus who could analyze it further. The pay wasn't half bad either. It was 35,000 jewel, enough to pay his bills for the month.

With his hands in the pockets of his black jeans, Laxus looked ahead of him. The port was to his left, and store fronts were to his right. His client was supposed to be meeting him around here somewhere.

Laxus kept on walking down the street until he caught the sight of something purple in the corner of his vision. His immediate reaction was to casually turn around before Catori could catch sight of him, but when he noticed a green haired little boy standing beside the woman, Laxus kept walking closer. That definitely wasn't Catori. Catori scared little kids. She did not hold their hands.

When he caught sight of Catori's twin sister Winry, Laxus's golden eyebrow rose. What were _both_ of Bickslow's little sisters doing in Fiore? Something had to be up.

Unlike the rebellious Don't-Give-A-Damn Style that her twin sister sported, Winry was a much more feminine version of her identical twin. Winry wore a strapless white dress that hugged her large breasts and flat stomach before making a large, flared skirt that ended at the middle of her calves. She was even wearing purple high heels that had matching ribbons tied in a bow at the ankle. There wasn't a speck of dirt or a scar anywhere on her body unlike Catori. It was amazing that such a soft, gentle woman could be related to that demon in any way shape or form. What was even more amazing was that when they changed hair and clothes they were mistaken for each other.

Winry looked extremely puzzled. She had her hand on the side of her head and was swaying side to side like she was trying to figure something out.

"You lost?" Laxus's deep voice boomed from behind her, and he watched as Winry's soul attempted to leap from the Seith Mage's body.

Hastily, she turned around then tripped up to fall back onto the directory. "Oh! Laxus, it's only you. You scared me." The hands that held her from falling loosened, and she regained her perfect posture.

Laxus again wondered how the hell Winry and Catori were twin sisters. Catori was brash and bold. Winry was motherly and jumpy. Still, he repeated, "You lost?"

Her face heated. "I-uh-um-I… I was just taking a look around. Ajax is hungry, and we just got off Cpt. Kenwae's ship." She nodded her head to where a pirate ship was in the port. While at the docks the man had taken down his Jolly Roger, but Laxus knew from experience that he would fly it on the high seas.

"I'm assuming the green haired boy you're with is Ajax." Laxus glanced down to a particular hateful looking young boy. The kid was glaring at him like he was the enemy. Some part of Laxus wanted to knock the boy down a notch, but he didn't know what his relation was to Winry was. He held back. It couldn't be Winry's kid. Could it?

He looked her up and down, not bothering to hide his obvious study. The kid had to have been about seven years old. If he was Winry's kid, she would have had to have had him when she was seventeen. Winry having a kid that early? Catori maybe. Winry no.

Winry broke into his train of thought by explaining, "Ajax is my mission. His parents were killed, and King Isaac asked Kindred Spirit to take him to a good foster home in Fiore since the Normans are still after mages. I took the Magic Railroad to get here."

Laxus nodded his head slowly. "Uh-huh. Where ya heading?"

"Crocus. After hearing about the Magic Railroad, Princess Hisui and King Toma set up an orphanage for Lancet children. Ajax will stay there until someone comes along and decides to adopt him. And you?"

"What about me?" Laxus wondered, distracted by just how blue Winry's eyes were. They were so light blue like ice.

"What are you doing in…" She glanced to the directory. "Hargeon?"

Laxus snapped out of his trance. "Got a mission. Pick up and delivery. There's a book that needs to be delivered to Crocus."

"Oh? What kind of book?"

"Spell book."

"Healing?"

"Not a clue."

Winry giggled slightly into her hand then smiled up at Laxus in her quiet, charming way. "Did my brother ever tell you that my kind of Seith Magic specializes in healing?" she wondered.

"Nope. All he said was that you can possess objects. Isn't that the reason for the ribbons?"

Winry's eyes followed his line of sight to the purple ribbons laced up her arms. When she used Partial Possession, she became a poltergeist and manipulated the ribbons. They were a fearsome foe that could hoist soldiers into the air and throw them headlong into the stone facades of castles, as Laxus had witnessed during the Siege of Castle Lancet.

She admitted, "Well, yes, but I do also wear them because they're very cute. It's a pretty scary combination to be both adorable and mighty." Her stomach let loose a growl at just that moment, and she quickly gripped her abs in embarrassment. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I've got to go get something to eat. You should come. We could catch up. Just let me get Aja…" Her voice faded off as she blinked in the direction Ajax had just been standing. "AJAX!" she cried.

Laxus's head tore up when the wind blew the young boy's scent into his face. Without thinking, Laxus hauled Winry's hand up in his. "He went this way."

"But, why would he run away?" Winry wondered innocently.

The lightning dragon slayer just shrugged and ran off. As they charged after the scent, Laxus didn't miss the way Winry didn't pull from Laxus's grip. He also didn't miss how he wasn't inclined to let go of her tiny hand. It fit perfectly into his. Her hands were soft and dainty from lotion. His were large and calloused from hard work. She was the soft to his hard.

Ignoring the strange feeling _that_ sent into his body, Laxus caught sight of a flash of green jumping a wooden fence.

His hand slipped from Winry, and he put a hand on the fence. While he leaped over it, he ordered, "Find another way around, and I'll try to get him from this side!"

"But, Laxus, I can just…" Her voice faded out as he chased after the boy.

Turning his head in Laxus's direction, the boy's orange eyes widened. He turned a corner and cried, "Someone help me! That man's chasing me!"

Before Laxus knew it, the people that had been watching Ajax with curious eyes turned harsh glowers in his direction. The townspeople were on him in an instant as the boy snickered in mischievous victory.

Snarling, Laxus hauled himself through the angry crowd. That punk! That rude little punk! A man snatched onto Laxus's jacket, and he let it slide from his shoulders. Oh, that kid was going to get it now. If Laxus had to sacrifice his coat for one single second to get to that brat, he was going to get the beating of a life time once Laxus got his hands on the little jerk.

A mob of people engulfed Laxus right when he caught sight of Winry running up to the boy. There was a flash of red then Winry's body tumbled to the ground. "Winry!" Laxus yelled out over the angry townspeople swallowing him up.

A loud crash sounded over the boy, and suddenly a convenient box ate the brat. The box rolled like it was living and a wooden top sealed shut over Ajax's head like a ghost was manipulating it.

The body laid out on the streets began to move, and in seconds Winry stood right up to come running in her high heels over to Laxus. "Stop! Stop!" she cried. "This is all just a big misunderstanding, okay! Get off of him, and you! Yes, you! Gimme that coat!" Her hands jerked Laxus's coat out from the hands of a confused man, and Winry fought the crowd to stand in front of Laxus.

"That man was chasing a young boy!"

"Yeah, what's up with that?"

The people cried out their complaints, and Laxus face-palmed. With a holy amount of patience, Winry gave a polite bow. "I'm very sorry for the confusion, but Ajax got mad and ran away from me. My friend here was only trying to get him back to me," she cleared up.

A woman nodded her head knowingly. "I see. A young boy could very easily get angry when his mother's dating a new man."

"But he's not my…" Winry's voice was cut off by the townspeople. They began discussing the hardships of raising children within a divorced home.

"Yup. When I met my new husband after my previous husband passed, Toni got really upset when Owen came around."

"Oh? Well, my daughter ran away from home when I started dating again."

Laxus grabbed Winry up once more. "Ignore them. They're too stupid to get the hint," he mentioned.

As soon as they began walking off together, a woman called, "Just stay strong. Your son will understand in due time. I promise. Oh and congrats on finding such a handsome fella."

Winry's face flushed a brilliant shade of scarlet even as Laxus shook his head in annoyance. When they started on their way to a box rocking back and forth in the middle of the street, Laxus wondered, "Are you sure that you're going to be able to do this mission by yourself?"

Her flush deepened. "I hate to admit it, but it's the first time I've been on a mission alone. Even when I did our guild's S Class trial, Catori was my partner. We became S Class together. We're never apart. I'm kind of nervous." She let loose a shaky laugh then played with the large spiral curl on the side of her head.

"So, is Tori being here the first time she's been alone as well?" Laxus wondered, falling into easy conversation with the woman beside him. His arm was still draped over her slim shoulders. He'd put it there to direct her through the crowd and hadn't moved it since. Irritated at himself, he dropped it, shoving his hand into his pocket.

"Is Tori here?" she piped up. When Laxus shook his head, she shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah. She's on a mission from the king, too. She's not supposed to be visiting Fairy Tail, but I should have assumed she would want to see Big Sis and Bro. How is she doing? Is she as nervous as I am?"

Laxus gave a pause. Winry acted like she wanted Catori to be nervous. After dealing with the psycho Seith Mage, he knew that Catori was on another level than her twin. Laxus didn't think that the word nervous was even in that woman's vocabulary. "She's fine. Been chasing Freed everywhere he goes ever since she entered the guild."

Winry let out a disappointed sigh. "Catori does have a thing for pretty boys. Always says something about how she can make a good boy go bad no matter how uptight he is. Dad says she gets it from his attraction to princesses. It's our family's fatal flaw I suppose." When she smiled up at Laxus this time, he noticed the sadness in her gaze. Where did that come from?

Hoping to get her spirits back up, Laxus wondered, "You? Do you go for the pretty boys?"

"Ha! I can't even get a date. Guys in the guild are scared of me, and guys outside of the guild are freaked out by my super strength. They call me She-Hulk," she admitted.

Not even able to withhold a snicker at that, Laxus let his mind wander to an oversized muscular version of Winry. She had bright pink skin and a tattered angel gown on her massive frame. Oh, yeah. That image was more like what he thought of Catori. Definitely not what he thought of the woman walking with him right now.

An elbow jabbed him in the side, and Winry announced, "It's not funny! How would you like to be called the girl who's cute one second and a monster the next?"

"Well, first of all if someone called me a girl, I'd kick his ass. A monster on the other hand… Not a bad title. Fear equals respect."

They finally got in front of the shivering box, and Laxus hauled it up. Putting it on his shoulder, he asked, "So, where are we eating?"

"We aren't taking him out of the box?"

"Hell no! Brat needs to learn his lesson."

A muffled complaint sounded from inside of the wooden crate, but Laxus ignored it. Winry stepped towards the box and pulled a length of ribbon out from her pocket. She tied it around the box and stated, "Bark." Immediately, any sounds coming from the box were turned from Ajax's complaints into a yapping dog. "Well, there was a cute café I saw back towards the docks."

"Sounds like that's where we're going."


	3. Not My Boyfriend

Not My Boyfriend

"So, tell me more about this book," Winry began before she took a bite of her grilled chicken melt made with all kinds of health nut stuff Laxus couldn't even pronounce. Really? Who has to go and make a grilled chicken sandwich complicated?

Before he answered, he took a look at her food. She ate very healthy. There was some kind of weird green tea with things floating in it. She had a Caesar side salad that was lightly touched by dressing. Her one _unhealthy_ item was a roasted banana with melted chocolate chips and cinnamon tossed on top.

He took a chunk out of his Philly cheese steak and thought about the book for a second. The job hadn't explained much on it. As a matter of fact, all it said was that it needed to be handled with care and never opened. It was rumored to be cursed, and apparently the owner of the book took the curse very seriously. He mentioned all of that to Winry after swallowing his giant bite.

"Hmm. It reminds me of a book that was delivered to Lancet a few years back. A man had found a book deep inside of an abandoned library when he was looking for wandering spirits to add to his Seith Magic. Instead of finding spirits, he found a book with a lock on it. He never found the key, but after playing with the lock a bit, he got it open. Rumor says it stole his soul then locked itself back afterwards." She took a sip of her green tea from a swirly, girly straw. How anyone could think of this woman as a She-Hulk was beyond Laxus.

He leaned back unceremoniously and kicked Ajax's box when the boy's complaining turned into monotonous yapping thanks to Win's magic. "We gunna feed the dog?" he wondered, still musing on her story.

Winry dabbed at her face with a white napkin then folded it on the table. "Let me see what he wants." Her eyes flared crimson.

Laxus's instinctive reaction was to snap his eyes shut before she took control of his soul, but she didn't use Human Possession. Her head fell at an awkward angle. She looked like she'd died on the spot, but when he heard aggravated barking coming from the crate, Laxus realized she was inside of the box.

After a second, Winry adjusted herself then waved her hand for their waitress to stroll over. "Miss, may I get an order to go?"

"Oh! Is it for the puppy? I wish you'd let me see him," the waitress cooed.

Winry did her cute smile thing that made Laxus want to grin with her. "No, I'm afraid I can't. He bites. Besides, my client doesn't want to risk him getting loose again," Winry lied. She lied straight through her perfect, white teeth, and Laxus cracked a grin.

"Well, I guess since your client doesn't want him to get loose then… So whatcha want, miss?"

Winry's eyes perused the menu, and after settling on something, she read out the order for Ajax. She apparently didn't order what the brat wanted because there was yipping that followed the request. "Oh! I'd also like a green tea to go."

"Of course." The waitress turned to give Laxus a charming grin. It was cute but subpar compared to Winry's sweet smiles. "Anything else for you, sir?"

Laxus gave a glance to his ale then shook his head. With the brat around, the last thing Laxus needed to be was inebriated, especially since he convinced Winry to let him tag along. "No thanks."

She gave a happy nod then be-bopped her way into the main building.

"And, you're positive that it's no problem?" Winry asked about Ajax.

"I'm headed that direction anyway. Besides, with Freed and Catori in the same place, I need an excuse to stay away from the guild for as long as possible. Just let me pick up the book, and we can go." Laxus cast his eyes towards the morning sun. He wondered just how Freed was holding up without Laxus to save him right now…

* * *

Freed blinked when he entered the guild. Laxus wasn't here. He saw Adamine, Bickslow, and Evergreen sitting at their usual table. Adamine had her head stuck inside of a comic book that was hot off the press. Bickslow was laughing maniacally at something. Evergreen was examining her new manicure. He took an audible gulp when he caught sight of purple hair then immediately realized what Bickslow's wicked laughter was about.

Catori was sneaking in for the kill.

Hastily, Freed whipped around. The guild was watching eagerly. Mira was even giggling from behind the bar. Makarov was snickering behind his mug. There was no help coming from that direction.

He took a step back as Catori snuck up on him. She stepped closer. He stepped further. When his back finally hit one of the walls of the guild, he gulped one more time. Catori pounced instantly, and right before she took him down for the count, Freed cried, "LAXUS!"

* * *

Laxus let loose a random sneeze as soon as they left the sketchy bookstore. Was someone talking about him? Either way, he let his index finger skim across the tip of his nose then straightened his back.

They were on the outskirts of Hargeon right now, and they had a couple of days of travel before they got to Crocus to deliver the boy and the book. Now that Laxus thought about it, they should probably let Ajax out of his box.

He set the box on the road then looked up to Win for permission. When she inclined her head, he let her purple ribbon fall off. The boy came ripping out of the crate like a vengeful beast, and when he launched himself at Laxus, the slayer proceeded to wallop the boy on the top of his head.

Ajax's entire body shot to the dirt, but Winry didn't even look phased by Laxus's cruelty. In fact, she put her hands on her hips in the sassiest, cutest way possible. "Now, are you going to behave this time, or do we need to put you back in the crate?" she snapped, all mom-like.

The green haired boy swiped dirt off his face. He looked like he was going to argue but when Laxus raised his fist to say, "You smart off, you get punched again" he just grumbled out, "Sure. Whatever. This guy gunna be with us the whole time?"

"Yes, he is. Is that a problem for you?" Winry warned.

"Wouldn't matter if it was." He turned to kick a rock. The stone shot out to hit a tree then bounced to the dirt. In a lower mutter, he added, "Don't need this shit. Don't need a stupid orphanage. Don't need a stupid escort."

Something soft crossed over Winry's eyes, but she hardly let up. If anything, she just ignored Ajax. Turning to Laxus, she asked, "Should we get a ride to Crocus? I'm sure that if we keep walking this road that someone will come along."

A hint of green crossed Laxus's face to his embarrassment. Immediately, his hand went to the little pill bottle that Wendy had given to him a few days back. The pills were magic, enhanced with the spell Troia for all the dragon slayers. It was a creation by Wendy and Porlyusica after motion sickness became such an obvious problem during the Grand Magic Games. As he tossed the pill bottle around in his pocket, he realized with hidden dread that the bottle was empty. He remembered using his last one on the train ride down here. It had run out midway through the ride, and Laxus had sat alone without the Raijinshuu to take care of him in their discreet manner. It had been awful…

"I don't think that would be a good idea," he mentioned.

Winry gave him a curious look then a wicked, Bickslow-like grin crept up her face ever so slowly. Oh, Mavis, he couldn't keep forgetting they were related. What the hell was she up to?

Winry stepped closer to him. She had her hands behind her back, and after getting up on her tiptoes, she snickered, "You have motion sickness. Don't you, Laxus?"

"No. I don't. I've overcome that."

"Liar."

"Am not."

"Are, too."

"Am not."

"Are, too."

Instead of keeping up this childish argument, Laxus snarled down at her. She just giggled and pulled her hands up to either side of his face. Before Laxus could do a thing about it, she had pressed their foreheads together. Her eyes flashed red then Laxus felt something not uncomfortable going through his body.

It was like he was being caressed from the inside. Light, playful touches perused through his body until Winry pulled her head away from his. "There," she mentioned.

Laxus gave her a droll expression. "What's there?"

"I fixed your motion sickness by implanting a little bit of me in you."

His hand shot to his forehead even though he tried to keep calm. What the hell did she mean by that? Last time someone's soul had gotten in someone else, it had gotten Bickslow permanently connected to Adamine through a Seith Mage process called Soul Mating. Laxus wasn't looking to be permanently _anything_ with someone who had the title of Bickslow's Little Sister.

"My Seith Magic is steeped in all kinds of healing spells. I can heal the soul unlike the rest of my family. Painful memories, sadness, addiction. Those kinds of things are my forte, but I do have a touch of a physical ability. I can get your soul to convince your body that you don't feel motion sickness. The effect is temporary, but as long as a part of me stays inside of you, you won't feel sick." She was still on her tiptoes in front of him, and her hands were still on his face.

When she realized what she was doing her face went to that brilliant scarlet. Great Mavis, she was cute… And, it took a lot for Laxus to say _that_ C word.

Hastily, her hands flew from his face, and she turned towards Ajax. The boy had stuck his finger down his throat in mock throwing up. He grumbled, "Will you two stop being disgusting? It's bad enough that I have to travel with one of you, but the fact that you decided to let your boyfriend tag along makes this even worse."

A fist came and smacked Ajax back on the top of his head at the same time that Winry cried, "He's not my boyfriend!"


	4. Innovative

Innovative

Winry pulled her heels off her feet and let out a grumble to herself. She'd goofed in her decision to wear this outfit. She should have chosen something much more sensible like pants, a tube top, and boots similar to what her sister wore. Instead, Win had been shuffled out of the house in her dress and high heels. At the very least she had her ribbons in case something happened to the three of them, but still… She'd screwed up.

Laxus and Ajax were ahead of her. The green haired boy still hadn't taken a liking to either Laxus or Winry, but at least he wasn't smarting off right now. The whole time they'd been travelling, he'd been arguing either with her or the blonde dragon slayer. Laxus was right. This mission was difficult on her own.

Although Winry was the best in the guild with children, Ajax was an altogether different kind of specimen. He was hateful. He never thanked anyone. He complained a lot. He hadn't stopped trying to pick a fight with Laxus until the man had struck the boy with lightning.

Now, Ajax walked with his spiked hair extra spiky, and his body came extra fried. As much as Winry thought he deserved it, she still had scolded Laxus for being so hateful. The boy had gone from loving family to orphan in a matter of minutes, and Winry knew how that felt. She had gone from loving family to her parents being sealed away in a castle dungeon. Essentially, she had become an orphan at age twelve. Win and Tori had raised each other when their foster parent, a pirate that had found them washed up on the shore, wasn't around. Only in the past few months did Win and Tori get their parents back, and they were twenty-four years old now.

She looked up at the two men. Laxus had his coat over his shoulder. It hung on two of his fingers. Without the coat on, Winry could see the defined muscles of his traps and shoulders. The man worked out, and he worked out hard. Now, if only she could get him to eat right…

Next, she looked to Ajax. Even though the boy claimed that he hated Winry and Laxus, he had his trench coat off his body. He, too, was holding it with two fingers and over his back. Ajax could say what he wanted, but he respected Laxus Dreyar. All it had taken was a lightning bolt to the body and few punches to the back of the head.

Winry gave them a gentle smile. If only she could win Ajax's heart over…

Laxus gave a pause all of a sudden then glanced back to Winry. Quickly, she straightened up. "If you want to take a rest, we can camp out for the night," he explained. His head tilted forward to gesture to a small creek that ran through the beaten path.

His eyes trailed from the heels in her hands to her bare feet. He seemed to make a decision about something then walked off the trail.

"What about bandits?" Winry wondered when she caught sight of him laying her backpack down alongside his.

"If any bandit's stupid enough to try and bust into our camp, I'd say they'd get what was coming to them," he intoned. His hand ran against the back of his neck, and Winry noted the way sweat glistened there. Her eyes followed a particular bead of sweat as it lazily strolled down from his hairline to underneath a tight shirt.

Oh my. The way his muscles forced the sweat to roll down according to his body... Winry tried not to let her family's deviant traits show when she kept herself from shivering. Polteroms were notorious for their perverted tongues. Sadly, Winry was no different from her brother Bickslow nor her sister Catori. When she saw something hot, she took note.

It was hot outside, too. Winry could use a cold bath and her favorite loofah. As she took the chance to dig a miniaturized tent out from her backpack, Winry mentioned, "It's a shame that there aren't any hot springs nearby. It'd be nice to bathe."

"No kidding. When I'm by myself, I just bathe in the river, but the water's not deep enough here," Laxus intoned. He was about to reach into his bag when he noticed Winry had already set her tent up.

The tent was plenty big enough for the three of them. He had his sleeping bag, but if Winry would let him sleep in there with them, that'd be great. He couldn't even get the words out of his mouth because she already stated, "You'll be staying in our tent, and I'll make a shower."

"Make a shower?"

She dusted off her hands and rose. "Yup. You get pretty handy when you live amongst pirates. Besides, who do you think set up plumbing in our hobbit hole guild? This chick." Both thumbs pointed toward herself.

Ajax sat across from Laxus. As soon as Winry began collecting water in a bucket, he growled, "I don't believe you." Ah. So, he was going to start grumbling again. This kid was hateful as get out.

"What you believe doesn't matter. What's the truth is that I'm going to make us a shower." After she collected the water, she sat the bucket down and retrieved a hammer, nail, tin can, and one of her many ribbons. Practiced, she easily knocked some holes in the lower side and bottom of the tin can. After that, she tied it to her ribbon. Easily, she attached the ribbon to one tree limb then another. Finished with that, she showed off her work by proving herself to Ajax. Winry poured the water into the tin can, and the boy and Laxus both watched in surprise as Win's simple shower head fixture poured out water. Winry spun her hammer in her hands and chimed, "Reduce, reuse, and recycle, boys. Who's nifty? Oh, I think I am."

Ajax snarked out a powerful point. He smarted, "Who's going to pour the water while you shower?" This kid was a perv!

Suddenly, Winry's face got flustered. The thought of Laxus, since he was the only one tall enough of course, pouring water into her shower head to let her bathe had Winry nervously rethinking her nifty comment. He would see her naked… Not unless. Of course! She could wear her bathing suit. It revealed just enough while not showing everything. Wait… but then she wouldn't be able to… Ugh! The problems of being a woman!

Winry tapped her bottom lip for a second then came up with a solution so simple it was stupid. She explained, "I'll just angle the water on a tree limb then shower. Easy enough, pervert." Still, her face stayed scarlet as images of Laxus's all kinds of hotness showering her body with creek water danced in her head. Oh, Holy Ghost, she was the perv here not the kid. Catori must have been around her too much here lately.

"So, what's next? Food?" Winry wondered. "I got the tent and the shower ready, so the homestead is set."

"I could go get-"

"No!" Winry and Laxus barked together. That boy would run off at the earliest opportunity. Neither one of them knew his magic, so they had to keep a close eye on him. There was no telling when he would resort to magic to sneak off.

"Fine! I'll just sit here and be bored then. I could survive better on my own than with you two idiots." Ajax kicked another rock, and before it could hit Winry, the woman snatched it up in her ribbons.

"Excuse me, Ajax, but I believe that sounds like sass," Winry growled back. She was getting more tired of this kid by the second.

He mocked, "Excuse me, Ajax, but I believe that sounds like sass."

Laxus looked at her with the face of a father waiting to discipline his kid, but Winry shook her head. She crossed over to the boy. "Listen up, kid. I'm the only thing keeping you from any Lancet Normans that want to gobble you up like the Boogey Man would, so I suggest you keep your smart mouth shut before I shut it for you."

"You can't do anything to me, woman."

Much like what Laxus did to him before, Winry lifted her fist to bonk Ajax on the top of his head. Right when something smart was about to come out of that sassy mouth, Winry loosed one of her ribbons. "Stay," she commanded to the purple silk. Sure enough when Ajax went to rip the cloth off the mouth it'd wrapped around, it refused to budge.

When her eyes returned to Laxus's smirking form, Winry mentioned, "I really hope that we aren't keeping you from your job in Crocus."

"Nah. Like I said, I'm trying to escape Freed and Catori. It's better to be stuck with a smart brat and the nice twin than the frightened Rune Mage and the scary twin," Laxus mentioned. He stood up and pointed his hand towards the creek. Instantly, lightning shot from his fingertips to launch into the creek. Soon enough, the mages had a bounty of fish already made to crispy perfection. "Freed's the cook in our group, but this works too."

She took a look a Laxus. Her brother, Bix, had a pretty cool friend. Winry was glad he was here to help.

Taking the fish out of the creek, Winry gathered them then laid them out on a piece of cloth. "I hope you didn't scorch them," she teased.

"I held back just a little bit. I'm not half bad at cooking. You know."

She cast Laxus a heartwarming grin then a sudden thought crossed her mind. "Laxus, do you still have the book?" she wondered. He raised a brow before procuring the book from his backpack. "Good. I just wanted to make sure Ajax didn't snatch it from us." Her eyes cut to the angry brat.

He was sitting there glaring at the two of them. If anything, the boy was seething. She had no clue why this kid was still pissed off after Win had been nothing but nice to him, but with that kind of attitude, she didn't trust the boy not to attempt something. Laxus had better be careful with that book. The kid may try to take off with it.

For now, Winry would try to relax, but when it came time to sleep, she knew she had to think of something to make sure Ajax didn't slip off. Winry just hoped his magic wouldn't surpass her trap making skills.

* * *

**Ah, Winry's pervy side is showing. At last. Bickslow couldn't have a perfectly innocent little sister. You know. I would ruin the Polterom image. I've gotta keep up appearances!**

**I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. Still, I have to come up with a cunning magic for Ajax. I think I have the perfect kind.**

**Until next time, FanFictioners!**


	5. Problems

Problems

Orange eyes popped open in the darkness. They scanned around the darkened tent. Already, Ajax could hear Winry inhaling and exhaling breath in the shadows, and when the young boy lifted himself onto his haunches, he narrowed his eyes at the sight of a sleeping dragon slayer. Laxus's eyes were closed, and his pink lips were parted. By the looks of things, both of them were knocked out cold.

Still, Ajax was cautious as he slipped from his bedroll. The warm cloth tumbled off his hips, and with a kind of silence he'd studied after watching King Isaac's top assassins, Katja and Sven, he stood silently in the tent.

Now was the best chance he had if he was going to get away from these two. There was no way in hell Ajax was going to an orphanage. He was going to return to Lancet and get trained by King Isaac's Royal Guard. Ajax wanted to be an assassin like Katja and Sven, or maybe a berserker like Felix. Maybe, he could work underneath King Isaac's regent and personal spy, Hollis. Then again, he could also work with Colin, the kingdom's gatekeeper and primo informant. Training with any of them would be better than going to some stupid orphanage.

Ajax opened up the tent then paused when he caught sight of Laxus's backpack. The backpack was a dusty brown color and well-worn, but that wasn't what had made Ajax look at it. What got him to look at it was logic.

Ajax was a lost seven year old boy in the middle of nowhere. He had no money. No one knew him. The only things he had were a magic that only worked some of the time and the clothes on his back. Determined, Ajax slung the backpack over his own shoulder then stepped out of the tent.

As soon as he did, he scowled at their campsite. Everything may have looked normal to the average human, but Ajax knew better. Winry would have to be real dumb not to set up precautions for him. Scowling, Ajax attempted to summon up his magic.

He concentrated for what felt like hours. The longer it took for his magic to work, the more nervous he got that he would be found out. With his teeth digging in hard to his bottom lip, Ajax concentrated.

His father had taught him that magic only worked with a calm mind. He had told Ajax that the boy's reckless nature would cause difficulty with his control. Gritting his teeth, Ajax concentrated. He would show his father. He would show Winry. He would show everyone.

Ajax didn't need anyone's help. He could survive on his own!

When blood dripped from nails digging hard into fists, Ajax finally opened his eyes. He opened his eyes and gasped. Looking down, he realized that his body was no longer there. He was invisible.

He could have cried out in triumph. He could have laughed at the many times his father told him he'd never be able to control his magic, and with a snicker across his lips, Ajax dashed out of the camp as fast as his legs could take him.

* * *

Laxus's body lazily stretched out in the tent. Even his half-asleep mind couldn't remember the last time camping out had ever felt so wonderful. He was going to have to remember to get one of those pocket-able tents next time he hit up a shop.

Keeping that in mind, Laxus tossed his brawny arms over his head. Steel eyes opened up, and when they did, Laxus blinked at the sight of Winry.

Her face was pale. Her body was draped out like she was dead once more, but this time her hair was damp. She must have used the shower before activating her Seith Magic. Still, Laxus didn't think he was ever going to get used to just how dead Winry looked when her soul left her body.

Curious, Laxus moved to sit up on his haunches. His eyes narrowed at her curvaceous form tossed out like a corpse. He could really see her right now, and he didn't even try to hide the fact that he was perusing her body like some kind of fine merchandise.

From her blue purple spiraled hair to her dainty, purple painted toenails, Winry was definitely the cuter twin. She looked just as beautiful with her soul sucked out of her body as she did with it. Frankly, that was a weird thing to notice, but it was the truth.

Laxus ran a hand through his blonde hair then glanced to the high slit in Winry's short sleep dress. At this angle it cut all the way up to her hip. That sun kissed skin taunted him, but when her body inhaled a sharp breath, Laxus realized Winry's soul just reentered her body. She hastily leaped from her bed roll. Her body was all legs when she jumped towards the front of the tent.

Her hands pulled the opening wide, and she suddenly fell to her knees. Gripping her skull, Winry stared to the top of the tent and hissed, "Holy Ghost, I'm so screwed."

Immediately, Laxus knew what was wrong. They'd lost Ajax. Again.

Letting out a hiss of a breath, Laxus rose up from his sleeping bag. His bare chest was kissed by cool, morning air, and he felt his skin already rising with goosebumps. Nonetheless, he didn't bother scrambling around for his shirt.

Instead, Laxus rose to his full height. His tall, strong frame cast a long shadow in the tent. It fell across tiny Winry, and when she took note of the shadow crossing her body, she cringed. Whether it was from embarrassment over Ajax having gotten away or whether it was from intimidation, Laxus would never know. What he did know was that Winry's tanned skin flushed scarlet when she laid her baby blues on him.

For a while there, all she did was stare at him. He watched curiously as she took in the many indentions that made up his powerful eight pack abs. From his navel to the broad expanse of his chest, Winry didn't skip a single inch of skin. She may have been blushing to a fever pitch, but she was in no way coy about the interest sparkling in her eyes.

This woman may have acted like Freed, but she was definitely Bickslow's little sister.

Suddenly, that reminder had his stomach not settling well underneath his skin. His grey eyes scanned for the shirt he must have put around here somewhere. When he finally caught sight of it sitting right by Bickslow's Little Sister, he broke her oddly entrancing stare. "Can I have that?" he gestured towards the black cloth on the floor.

She shook her head hard then blinked a few times. It took her a second, but Winry finally realized Laxus was talking about his shirt. "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to stare but…" She gestured at Laxus's physique. "That's just the least bit hard for a girl not to stare at." Her nervous laughter belied her obvious attraction.

Seeming to gather her wits, Winry let out a sharp gasp at Laxus's own straying gaze. His steel eyes roamed from her messy purple hair then to her skimpy nightie. It was far from the most seductive piece in her lingerie drawers, but obnoxiously enough, her mother hadn't chosen sleepwear proper for camping with the opposite sex.

Her hand immediately shot to pull her shift up to cover shockingly abundant cleavage. "E-Excuse me, I was in a rush to pack, so I didn't exactly get the most sensible stuff. I-I'll just get dressed…" Winry's face was thousands of shades into the deep red when she reached over to her backpack. A low growl rumbled inside of the tent, and Winry became uncomfortably aware of the length of this gown.

Reaching to force the cloth down over her body, Winry thought she heard Laxus mumbling to himself as he left the tent.

"Bickslow's Little Sister. Bickslow's Little Sister," Laxus repeated to himself under his breath. He wanted to respect the Guy Code. He needed to respect the Guy Code. It was imperative to respect the Guy Code.

Running a hand down his face, Laxus attempted not to look back at the tent where he could see Winry's silhouette bopping around. Against his better judgment, Laxus's eyes betrayed him. Sure enough, the sun was at the perfect angle for him to see her shadowy frame disrobing in the closed tent. Damn. All of this helping the damsel in distress shit would be a thousand times easier if Bickslow's Little Sister was not sexy as sin. If she could just be as crazy as Catori who Laxus had no sexual attraction to whatsoever, or if she could just look like Bickslow, Mohawk and all, this would not completely suck.

With a curse sent in the direction of his hormones, Laxus forced his head to pay attention to more important things. And, what Laxus meant by forcing his head to pay attention was more or less cursing himself in about five languages until he could tear his eyes away from a body that should not tempt him the way it did.

Laxus was always around hot chicks. He was in the guild Fairy Tail for crying out loud. Mirajane was the draw factor of Fairy Tail. She was curvy and beautiful. Erza Scarlet was a close number two on the scale of Fairy Tail's Hottest Women in the magazine _Sorcerer Weekly_. There was always busty Lucy Heartfilia with her chest practically spilling out of her clothing.

Still, none of the women in their, oftentimes, threadbare clothing tempted him quite like Winry Polterom or as Laxus was beginning to like to say, "Bickslow's Little Sister!" Perhaps, it was because he was always around them from his childhood and from interacting with them in the guild that Laxus had no interest.

Laxus breathed, "Damn it. Why couldn't she just be ugly?" Even as his eyes went searching in the earth for footprints, they kept wanting to go in the direction of Winry. Cursing, Laxus kept going.

Steel eyes searched the ground, and a talented nose sniffed for Ajax. When the sound of the tent's zipper hissed in the air, Laxus turned his head towards the sound. Despite the scowl obvious on Winry's face, she looked stunning.

Her curly hair was pulled back into a ponytail high on her head. She sported a purple bralette and high waisted white shorts. The many ribbons that crisscrossed on her hands and arms ran all the way up to attach to the purple top. When her foot moved to point inwards, Laxus noted her purple flats. Despite the somber expression, Laxus would have to say he gave her a nine out of ten for travel wear. Points deduced for that look of hopelessness.

Winry rubbed her arm in a shy way. She seemed to be looking for words, and finally she spat them out. "Uh… Laxus, I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but we have a problem."

"A problem?" he said blankly. He was not going to like whatever she was about to say.

"Yeah. The thing is, Laxus… Ajax evaded all my traps, and he… Well, he took your backpack, too." She chewed on her bottom lip nervously.

Despite the adorable reaction, it did nothing to soothe Laxus's growing ire. He could feel his blood pressure rising. It started in the tips of his toes then ran all the way up to his forehead. Laxus's hand shot out to scorch a tree trunk in lightning, but as soon as he did, one of Winry's traps activated.

The rope Laxus didn't know he was standing on slithered around his feet. Hastily, it locked on, pulled tight, and hauled his ass skyward. A colorful myriad of curses spilled from Laxus's lips as he tried to bend and cut himself loose from the rope. Problem? Winry had greased it so Ajax couldn't do the same.

Hastily, Winry moved towards him. Laxus currently had the vocabulary of a well-educated sailor as she set about commanding her ropes to release Laxus. The piece digging in his ankle released without warning. As soon as Laxus dropped flat on his back, he roared, "I'm going to kill that damned brat!"

* * *

**Phew! Is it hot in here or is it just me? (Grabs Ever's fan when she's not looking and fans self with it) Tsk. Tsk. Poor Laxus. I wonder how Winry's Big Brother should react to Master Laxus's attraction to his little sister...**

**On another note, I hope you enjoyed this latest tid bit of Laxry shenanigans.**

**Leave me a review if you feel up to it. As always, thank you. (performer's bow)**


	6. Taken

**Alright, y'all, this chapter was not supposed to be named Taken. It's actual name is Balls to the Wall. (You'll know why later) But, I didn't name it that just in case it offended any readers. I don't know why human anatomy would offend someone, but hey, people get pissed off at anything nowadays. Tch. World's full of a bunch of whiners nowadays. (Steps off soap box)**

**More importantly, I hope you enjoy this insight of what life was like before Winry and Catori became the masters of Kindred Spirit. And, I'll show you all where my idea is heading for this story.**

* * *

Taken

His breaths came hard and fast. Ajax was running as quickly as he could. Like most mages from Lancet, Ajax knew the many secret ports hidden all throughout Fiore and the kingdom of Lancet. He also knew the various stations where Mage Sympathizers could transport him through the kingdom.

Ajax had a plan, and that plan was to get to King Isaac. The king was such a grand man. He was powerful in his magical abilities, and he was related to the Slayer of Lancet, Adamine Terra. Not only was he related to the woman who was supposed to take the throne when the kingdom was overthrown, but he was also the half-brother of the son of Loki. King Isaac had such a powerful legacy, and he was helped by the strongest Royal Guard Lancet had ever known.

Ajax wanted to be a part of that guard. Screw waiting for him to get older and more powerful to join the guard. Ajax wanted to do it now! He would do it now! And, screw his mother for sending him off through the railroad. She was wrong for sending him off. Ajax was the son of Aethon, the former master of the Band of Fallen.

Ajax would show his mother, and he would honor his father's name by becoming a guard of the Great King Isaac himself. He would show loyalty to his kingdom and his family. He would become the most power Invisibility Magic User the world was to ever know!

With that encouragement in his head, Ajax plowed through the woods. He was headed back in the direction of Hargeon, but he was smart. He wasn't using the trails. Winry and Laxus would assume that he would be on those. Therefore, Ajax was following an eastbound stream.

The weight of Laxus's backpack settled over Ajax's shoulders with ever thrust of the boy's legs, and he swore he was about to find another form of transportation when he neared a man pulling a wagon down the road.

Hastily, Ajax broke from the cover of the trees, but as soon as he did, his entire body was yanked up by the backpack. Feet went flying in the air. Ajax screamed, "Put me down, you oversized idiot!" His fists went flying alongside kicks of his legs, but whatever had a hold of him wasn't putting him down any quicker.

A massive male drew Ajax closer to his face. Sharp, yellow teeth glistened, and it wasn't because of bad dental hygiene. The man had gold teeth. Liquor drenched breath fanned over Ajax's face. The male snickered, "Look at what we have here, boys."

His voice called out to a band of ruffian types. They wore scars and filthy clothing. These were the roughhewn kind of people that took what they could and battled for every second of every day. Ajax knew these kinds of people. They were the same kind of assholes that had taken down the Band of Fallen's guild hall.

Baring his fangs, Ajax cried, "You don't know who you're messing with! I'm Ajax Windsor, most powerful magic user in the Band of Fallen! You'd better back up before I jack your shit up!"

"Yeah, you look threatening alright, kiddo. With your feet dangling off the ground and Boss holding ya up by a rucksack," one of the goons snickered.

This so called boss just grinned with those golden fangs. "This little brat's gunna get us what we've been looking for." He chucked Ajax on the chin. "Ain't ya, boy?"

"I don't work for scum like you! Put me down, you jackasses! I hope you know that I'm close friends with King Isaac of Lancet and the Slayer Princess Adamine Terra!" he snarled back, not giving these dirt bags a chance to see him sweat.

But, he'd be crazy to say that he wasn't scared. He was. He was really, really scared. These guys were bringing back memories of the destruction of the Band of Fallen. Over and over again, Ajax saw the flames from the fire and the screams of his family. The flashes obstructed his vision as they broke in and out.

"Oh! Slayer Princess Adamine, you say? You must be talking about that new chick in Fairy Tail. Yeah, I remember her. She's the one whose greatest talent is running away. Well, that and getting laid by every man she meets."

"Don't talk shit about Princess Adamine! She's a thousand times stronger than any of you scumbags! I'd bet money that she can beat all of you with one hand tied behind her back!"

The man gave a cruel turn of his lips. "That sounds like a fun bet, kiddo, but we ain't here for your money. You're going to give us the book that electric rat from Fairy Tail is delivering to Crocus, and then you're going to let us have that cute girl you've been traveling with." Dark laughter echoed through the mass of men surrounding Ajax.

Hands clamped down on the massive grip holding Ajax in the air. He didn't feel like he could breathe. Shit, no. Oh, no. Oh, man. Oh, shit, no! Winry… these creeps wanted Ms. Winry. He couldn't let them have her. And, book? What book? Ajax didn't know anything about a book. Winry had been telling legends about books from Lancet, but that was it. Ajax didn't know Laxus had a book with him.

When Ajax was spun to face the wagon he'd been running for, he was thrown in the back with another male. A farmer was gagged and bound. His mouth grunted out incomprehensible words from behind his gag when the men approached Ajax. Without being able to do anything about it, Ajax was tied down with rope then one of the goons shoved a cloth between the boy's lips. His body was thrust down to the ground, and when more goons loaded into the back of the wagon, Ajax's only thought was _I gotta save Ms. Winry._

* * *

Her slim finger hadn't left her lips ever since they'd packed up and gotten on their ways. Winry had this look of concentration. There was even this faint glimmer of crimson in her eyes. Under her breath, she muttered, "No. Not there. Got to fan out further."

That crimson glow flashed brightly in the morning light. Laxus expected Winry's body to completely topple over at any second, but when she stutter stepped, he dove in to snatch her up. "Hey, you alright?" he wondered.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just… searching for Ajax." She tried to support herself, but Laxus wouldn't let her. Blood trickled down from her nose.

Immediately, Laxus slowed down. His thumb swept across her upper lip. Laxus grumbled, "You're sending your soul out to find him. Aren't you?"

She watched him swipe her blood off on his pant leg. As soon as Laxus attempted to make eye contact with her, she tossed her eyes to the ground. "Of course, I am. He's my responsibility, and he's just a boy. I have to find him before…" Her words faded off then a shiver shook her tiny body.

"Before?" Laxus growled. She was not just going to leave it at that. Laxus wasn't going to let her.

Taking a gulp, Winry mentioned, "Some bands of Normans, the ones that don't want to see mages get equal rights, still haunt the seas. They attack ships and mages alike. Even though Isaac passed the Existence Equality Act days after taking the throne, Normans didn't stop killing. They hide and take us out whenever they can. Before I became the guild master of Lancet, Tori and I lived in a small house. Well, one day that house was broken into, and we became slaves. I think… I think that our slave master followed us out of Lancet." Her words broke on that last sentence.

"You were a slave?" Laxus asked dumbly, not being able to believe that a member of Kindred Spirit, former guild master at that, had ever been anything but a member of the guild.

"Y-Yeah. Thanks to Catori, we were able to escape. We went to Wolfrun, found some guys hiding out from Lancet Normans, and recreated Kindred Spirit in that hole in the ground you saw when you went to Lancet. It was my idea to build it in the ground. Normans would find a building." She was blabbering. Laxus could tell by the speed of her words and the shivering wracking her body. Something had happened to her when she was a slave. Laxus was determined to find out what.

His body came closer to her. Pulling her damp eyes up by a light grip on her chin, Laxus asked, "What did that prick do to you?"

"I-I don't want to talk about it. It's done. It's over, and Catori got me out of there before it could get any worse," she whimpered. Her eyes begged for him to let it drop. When those slim hands came up to grip Laxus's wrist in a shivering hold, he forced himself to let it drop.

He had his assumptions, but he wasn't going to say anything without proof. Putting a hand on the top of her skull, Laxus had to ask this one last question. "Does your brother know?"

Winry's eyes shot wide. Her mouth opened, shut, and then opened again. "N-No. Catori promised me that she would never tell anyone, and I-I…" She gave a pause like she was looking for the strength to keep speaking. "I just can't talk about it. Besides, we need to find Ajax. He's the one in danger right now. Not me."

Letting it go, Laxus slipped his hand down Winry's blue-purple locks. Once his hand found its way to the side of her head, he flicked her hard. "We'll find the brat, but hold off on your Partial Possession Magic. You aren't going to do either one of us any good if I have to haul you and the brat on my back all the way to Crocus."

That soft, motherly smile crept up Winry's face once more. She snickered, "Adamine was right with what she said about you."

"What'd she say about me?"

"That you aren't a complete dick."

Laxus put his hands behind his head then grinned at the sky. Yeah, that sounded like Adamine Terra. Leave it to her to give him a compliment in the crudest of ways. Walking at Winry's side, Laxus mentioned, "Don't let it fool you. I'm not the nicest guy you'll ever meet."

"And, that's why I'm sure my big brother and Adamine love you so much. You're real, and I can see that right in here." Her finger came down to poke him flat in the chest. "Now, as my twin sister would say… Alright, let's cut the shit and get our guns blazing. Balls to the wall, Laxus. Balls to the wall!"

* * *

**If anyone's curious about why Winry spilled her guts then held them back, it's because that's her personality. She tells someone something really important, thinks about it while she's explaining it, then forces herself to stop. Yes, she's aggravating. Aren't we all though?**

**Have a good rest of the day, my lovelies!**


	7. A Series of Unfortunate Events

Okay. So, this is just me explaining why I will not be posting anything for a while. Just the other day, I laid my computer down before bed. Well, said computer decided to fall off the bookshelf in the middle of the night. That caused my USB with all of my notes, edits, and stories to snap in half. Luckily, I salvaged the micro chip. Unluckily, according to the guys at Best Buy, it will cost me $200 for an estimation of how much it will cost to repair my USB and extract the files. Since I am but a poor student with no money, I can't spend that much on a USB to suck the information out of it.

I'll be trying to scrap up my stories. Good old copy and paste will become my friend as I attempt to recover all of my stories. (sighs) Sorry, y'all. Very, very sorry. It's all my fault the computer fell. I should have made sure it was secure before going to sleep. Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Even though I know who is the blame it does not mean that I am not pitching a blasted frick-a-fracking fit about my screw up. All that work... Gone. Destroyed. Bye-bye.

Excuse me while I go write a eulogy to my USB. The funeral service will be in my backyard. Also, I will be making a wooden coffin for my dearly beloved.

(sniffles) Goodbye, my love! Life shall never be the same without you. Tis I who snapped the spinal cord that made you thrive, and tis I who will live in suffering for my foolishness. Rest easy, my love. Rest easy knowing that you will live on forever in my heart. You were the best USB a girl could have. (dramatically throws self across three inch long wooden coffin)


End file.
